Pikachu White Peach Mango Tart

 My kids started watching Pokémon daily when quarantine began in March. They loved it and soon my daughter was quizzing me on who different Pokémon are and what do they evolve into. I don’t know if it’s because my brain does not remember things the way they used to, or perhaps because over nearly 900 Pokémon types are not stored in my memory, but the only Pokémon that I remember in all its forms is Pikachu. I was coming up with ideas of what to make for a fruit tart contest, and Pikachu was on my mind. I knew my kids would love it, and thus Pikachu tart was born. If you or your kids like Pokémon as much as mine, try this tart out!

Pikachu White Peach Mango Tart

Ingredients:

For crust:

3/4 cup all purpose flour

3 tablespoons confectioners sugar

One large egg

Pinch of sea salt

6 tablespoons butter, cold and cut in cubes

For filling:

3 large egg yolks

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

3/4 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 champagne mangoes, cut in thin flat slices

1 large white peach, cut in thin semicircle slices, plus 2 small white circles and 2 red circles for pikachu’s eyes and cheeks

1/4 cup Wilton black candy melts

Paper Print out of Pikachu’s face

Directions:

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, put flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the cold butter and egg and pulse until the combined mixture forms large balls of dough.

Spray a 7 inch nonstick cake or tart pan with a removable bottom with cooking spray. Put dough in the tart pan and press into pan evenly with your fingers to form a tart crust on the sides and bottom of pan. Cover pan with plastic wrap and freeze for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Take off plastic wrap from tart pan. Prick all over the bottom of the crust with a fork. Put tart pan on a baking tray. Bake for 11-13 minutes until golden brown. Cool tart crust completely and place tart on a flat dish.

Place candy melts in a microwaveable cup or bowl. Microwave at 20 second bursts until smooth. Mix and place in piping bag with a small piping tip. Put printout of pikachu’s face under a parchment paper on a tray. Following outline of Pikachu’s face, draw carefully with the piping tip. ( I did 4 outlines to practice and to have extra just in case.) Place tray in refrigerator for 20 minutes until hardened.

In a medium pot, whisk egg yolks and sugar until combined. Add cornstarch and whisk well. Add milk and vanilla extract to the pot and heat over low medium heat. Bring mixture to a low boil and whisk continually until thickened. Strain mixture if small lumps formed. Pour into a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator until cooled. When the tart cream is cooled, pour into tart crust.

Place printout of Pikachu’s face under plastic wrap on a tray. Arrange the thinly cut mango slices to form Pikachu’s face on top of plastic wrap. Put tray in freezer and freeze for 10-20 minutes until firm. Arrange white peach semi circle slices from edges of tart towards center. Remove Pikachu’s mango face from plastic wrap and place carefully on center. Place small white circles and red circles for his eyes and cheeks. Place hardened candy melt drawing of pikachu’s face on top of fruit. Enjoy!

Top left pic: ingredients in the food processor

Top right pic: already pulsed and combined into balls of dough

Bottom left pic: The dough is in the cake pan ready to go in the freezer.

Bottom right pic: Tart crust is baked and has a golden color.